Usually, the tech magazines from 50+ years ago got things wrong, predicting crazy, impractical devices to make home care easier (for women). Well in 1959, RCA and Mechanix Illustrated got it right.

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Behold, the "Mechanical Maid." It "cleans the floors at the push of a button, returns to niche, readies itself for next job." And while its shape is a boxier than a Roomba, they got the height part right. It's not jut vacuum cleaner with a Lost in Space Robot head/gumball machine stuck on top. [Modern MechanixThanks Charles!]